Process for producing oxids of nitrogen from the air.



F. I. n11 PONT. PROCESS FOR PRODUGING OKIDS 0P NITROGEN FROM THE AIR;

APPLICATION III-ED170114. 1908. I

' Patented Feb. 8, 1910.

WIT/M8853: W A! UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

M015 I. DU'PONT, OEWILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A SSIGNOD, TO THE E. I. DU POINT Toall it may concern DE NEMOURS POWDER COMPANY, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE OF NEW "JERSEY.

IBiOGESS FOB- PBODUGING OXIDS 0F NITROGEN FROM THE AIR.

' of this spec' cation.

Speaking generally, I subject the air cont' ous to a cooling medium to the action 0 a moving arc whereby the high temperature of the air produced by the arc'is immediately and ra idly reduced, thus roduc-' ing the best possi 1e conditions for t e production of oxids of nitrogen from the air.

In order to produce-a continuous and not disconnectedi arc, the air container should be of silica or other highly refractory material which is not a conductor of electricity. Preferably I pass the air through a tube formed of silica in which are electrodes between which an arc is formed. Surrounding thissilica tube is a glasstube'throu'gh' which a cooling medium, such, for Instance,

as a coolin I liquid, is passed, thus forming a water jac et, as it were, for the silica tube.-

Surrounding this cooling tube, in proximity to the arc, is a rotary magnetic field, which rotates the are around the inner surface of the silica tube. The'air passing in contact with the inner surface of the silica tube is,-

by the rotating ofthe arc, highly heated, and as soon as the arc passes from any portion of the air, such air is immediately subjected to coolilag action and its temperature rapidly reduce i I will now describe an apparatusfor carl 'ying out my invention illustrated in section in the accompanying drawing, and then point out the invention in the claims.

a is'a silicatube within which are the electrodes 6 connected with a source of current supply, not shown. I g Y c is a cap applied to each end of the tube a, the upper, ca having the passage d and the lower ca t e passage e. y cap a and tu e a is a packing f tlghtly m- Speciflcation of Letters Patent. Application filed November r4, 1908. Serial No. 462,568.

Between the Patented Feb. 8-, 1910.

serted to seal the connection at that point. The electrodes bare tightly inserted and thus sealed with respect to the cap. The electrodes are provided with proper feeding mechanism. The cap 0 is such that one ortion of the cap closely surrounds the tu e a and another portion closely surrounds the.

electrodes. Between these two portions of the caps a are, respectively, the passages 05- and e which connect with the space between the inner wall of tube a and the electrodes 7). The tube a is surrounded by a tube 12., preferably formed of glass in order to see the operation within the tube a The ends of this tube h' are closed by the caps 21, one cap have5 ing the inlet opening j and the other the outlet is for the circulation of the cooling medium. Surrounding the tube b, adjacent to the point of formation of the arch be tween the electrodes, are the field magnets,

or ring Z, which are energized by a polyphase current thus'producing a i-otarymag:

netic field.

In operation air is forced in through the assage 6 into the zone between electrodes.

' enthe arc is produced and the rotary magnetic field in action, the arc is caused to rotate around the inner periphery of tube a com ng in contact and acting upon successive portions of the air in contact with said tube. I

The are at once highly heats such air. As soon asthe arc passes from any portion of the a1r, such air being in contact with the wall of tube a, which is subjected at all times to the action of'the cooling medium in 8a tube b, has the high temperature produced by the are immediately and ra idly reduced. By thls' operation the 'action'oi highly heating and coolin any "given portion of the air is practica y simultaneous, thus more perfectly and with greater certainty form ing the oxids of nitrogen from the air. I have found. a current of 200' volts and 25 ampereseifective. I also force the air in at a pressure from atmospheric to that, say, I

of one hundred pounds. The oxids of nitrogen thus produced are the lower oxids and with the air unacted on pass along the tube in the space between the electrode and the wall of the tube escaping by the passage (l A conronarron.

-from which they may be led into water ters Patent is:

where they are converted into nitric acid, in the ordlnary manner.

. Having now fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Let- 1. The hereinbefore described methodof producing'oxids of nitrogen from air, which consists in subjecting air in contact with a non-conducting cooling surface to the action of a moving are extending between electrodes longitudinally of the non-conducting cooling surface and against said cooling surface, whereby the high heating. by the arc is immediately and rapidly reduced.

2. The hereinbefore described method of producing oxids of nitrogen from air, which consists in subjecting air in contact with a non-conducting cooling surface to the action of {L rotating are extending between the electrodes longitudinally of the non-conducting cooling surface and against the cooling surface, whereby the high heating by the arc is immediately and rapidly reduced.

3. The hereinbefore described method of producing oxids of nitrogen from air, which consists in subjecting air in a container, which is a non-conducter of electricity and. which container is subjected to the action of a cooling medium, to the action of a moving are extending between electrodes longitudinally of the container andagainst the inner surface of said container.

4. The hereinbefore described method of producing oxids of nitrogen from air, which consists 1n subjecting air in a container, which is a non-conductor of electricity and which container is subjected to the action of a coolingmedium, to the action of a rotating are extending between electrodeslongitudinally of the container and against the inner surface of said container.

5. The hereinbefore described method of producing oxids of nitrogen from the air in a container, which is a non-conductor of elec tricity, which consists in forming an are extending longitudinally within said con-' tainer, forcing said are to the inner surface of said container, and moving said are upon said surface.

6. The hereinbefore described method of producing oxids of nitrogen from the air in a container, which is a non-conductor of electricity, which consists in forming an are extending longitudinally within said container, forcing said are to the inner surface of said container, and rotating said are upon said surface.

7. The hereinbefore described method of producing oxids of nitrogen from the air in a container, which is a non-conductor of electricity, which consists in forming an are extending longitudinally within said container. forcing said are to the inner surface of said container, moving said are upon said surface and cooling said surface.

8. The hereinbefore described-method of producing oxids of nitrogen from the air. in

a container, which is a non-conductor of electricity, which consists in forming an are extending longitudinally within said container, forcing said are to the 'inner surface of said container, rotatin said are upon said surface and coollng said surface.v

9. The hereinbefore described method of producing oxids of nitrogen 'from'air, which consists in subjecting air in a container, which is a non-conductor of electricity, to the action of a moving are extending between electrodes longitudinally. of the container, and against the inner surface of said container.

12. The hereinbefore described method of producing oxids of nitrogen from air, which consists in subjecting air in a container, which is a non-conductor of electricity, to the action of a rotating are extending between electrodes longitudinally'of the container, and against the inner surface of said container.

13. The hereinbefore described method of producing oxids of nitrogen from the air in a container, with a surface which is a nonconductor of electricity, which consists in forming an are extending parallel with said surface, forcingsaid are against said surface, and moving said are upon said surface.

14. The hereinbefore described method of producing oxids of nitrogen from the air in a container, with a surface whlch 1s a nonconductor of electricity, which consists in forming an are extending parallel with said surface, forcing said are against said surface, and rotating said are upon said surface.

15. The hereinbefore described method of producing oxids of nitrogen from the air in a container, with a surface which is a nonconductor of electricity, which consists in forming an are extending parallel with said surface, forcing-said are against said surface, moving said are upon said surface, and cooling said surface.

16. The hereinbefore described method of 948,872 I V a I producingioxidsof nitrogen from the air in In testimony of which: invexi'tionl' I have a contamer, with a surface which is a' nonhereunto set my 'hand, at Wilmington, Del., conductor of electricity, which consists in on-this twelfth day of November, 1908.

I I forming an are extending parallel withsaid FRANCIS I. DUPONT. '5 surface, forcing said arc against said sur- Witnesses:

1- face, rotating said arc upon said surface, and WM. STAINAS,

cooling said surface; GORDON'L. NAYLOR. 

